Box score
BRISTOL, Tenn. --- The King College men's
soccer team withstood a furious rally by Lees-McRae College on
Wednesday evening, holding on for a narrow 4-3 win in Conference
Carolinas action.
King (1-2-1, 1-1 CC) took advantage with two early goals,
carrying a 3-1 lead into the interval despite Lees-McRae (3-2, 1-1
CC) holding a 25-19 margin in attempts at goal. Tom Winspear paced
the Tornado with three goals and one assist, opening the evening's
scoring just 3:44 into the match. Zach Caracciolo added a goal of
his own, while Shoval Failer, Sam Nicol, and Zachary Clark each
tallied an assist.
Freshman James Smith (Eastbourne, England) and senior David
Palmer (South Shields, England) led the way for Lees-McRae with a
goal and an assist each, as James Galvani (High Wycombe, England)
added a goal of his own. Luke Staats (Almere, Netherlands) and
Preston Shahdad (Charlotte, N.C.) each chipped in an assist, as
Thomas Rusling (Sheffield, England) stopped seven attempts at goal
for the Bobcats.
Winspear opened the scoring for King in the fourth minute,
delivering the finish off a quick pass from Nicol following a
Bobcat turnover to give the Tornado an early 1-0 lead. Caracciolo
doubled the advantage to 2-0 in the 10th minute, slotting the
finish into the back of the net from Winspear and Failer.
Palmer halved the advantage to 2-1 late in the 31st minute,
delivering the free header into the back off the net after Smith
flicked on a free kick from Staats. Winspear regained the two-goal
advantage for the Tornado less than 30 seconds before the interval,
slotting the finish past the keeper off a through ball from Clark
to send King into the break with a 3-1 lead.
The score remained 3-1 until the 74th minute, when Winspear
completed the treble from the penalty spot to push the margin to
4-1. Lees-McRae continued to fight, trimming the margin to 4-2
early in the 84th minute when Smith delivered the finish from point
blank range following a Palmer corner and a flick on by Shahdad.
Galvani kept the rally going in the 89th minute, taking advantage
of a loose ball in the area and slotting home the finish to cut the
margin to 4-3.
King preserved the margin from there, as Tornado goalkeeper
Patrick Milfred denied Galvani's equalizing chance midway through
the 90th minute to seal the victory.
Lees-McRae returns to the pitch on Saturday when the Bobcats
host North Greenville University in a conference matchup. Kickoff
is slated for 6 p.m. at Tate Field.
- LMC -
